I fail at the internet
I'm rabidly anti-Twilight. It's true. You're not surprised at this point. But yesterday I was making a huge ass of myself. In fact, it's sad, but I have an 'internet hangover' this morning.
I think I need to back down a little off my high horse. Because I am completely approaching Twilight as some one who is steeped in feminist theory and cultural critique. If I stopped talking to people that can't see issues in Twilight then.... I'd be missing out on a lot of people I like. I mean, I have no issues with trashy, escapist reading. None. I read loads of trashy as a young person - Sweet Valley High, Queenie, Anais Nin (maybe she's not trash, but I read everything she wrote when I was 13-14), historical romances. I subscribed to Seventeen and Young Miss and well..... I turned out fine. Except not really, people. Fine by status quo standards, but I internalized a lot of the low expectations for self and relationships, body image, etc that is peddled in those things. I've spent the better part of a decade and a half throwing off the bullshit in which I was inculcated.
But here's where by explaining further I realize that I'm going to make an even more arrogant ass of myself. I'm coming from a place of huuuuuuuge privilege. I am overeducated. In fact, by hating on women who love Twilight and don't see any issues with it I'm basically victim blaming. I think people can't see the issues of Twilight because the very problems Meyer so clumsily exposes are the foundations of our relational status quo. And of course people chafe when you say their chosen escape from the daily grind is satan. I can understand that last part - because the passion for Twilight is entirely emotional. Who am I to burst into some one's world and tell them that they are complicit in their own oppression?
Of course there are a million other problematic books, movies, shows. Advertising is in many ways worse than Twilight by it's very saturation. We will not have television in our house and we have already started talking about media literacy with Bennett. But Twilight is BELOVED, passionately and completely beloved by millions of women. I've already mentioned in past posts that this kills me. I want women to expect more from their lives. Is this one book going to be the downfall of females? No. But it's part of a larger, insidious problem. Stephanie Meyer hates women. I'm sure she doesn't think she does, but everything about her plot, her characters, her themes, suggests that she has internalized the worst of the patriarchy and is spewing it forth in new sparkly packages.
God. I meant to just write a short: hey, I get worked up, I'll try to calm down. But I see everything - EVERYTHING - through a feminist lens. (Which means I could detail just how Twilight is damaging for men too, because as I hope we know, no one wins in the patriarchy.)
Basically, if you're reading this, I'm guessing you aren't mistaking Twilight for great literature or social commentary and if you like it, it's because you like some sparkly ridiculuousness. If that's the case: cool. But if you think it's great lit or really find not one iota of problem with any of it.... I dunno. I'd be shocked you'd hung around me for this long. I'm more than a bit of a harpy about this sort of stuff.
I think I need to back down a little off my high horse. Because I am completely approaching Twilight as some one who is steeped in feminist theory and cultural critique. If I stopped talking to people that can't see issues in Twilight then.... I'd be missing out on a lot of people I like. I mean, I have no issues with trashy, escapist reading. None. I read loads of trashy as a young person - Sweet Valley High, Queenie, Anais Nin (maybe she's not trash, but I read everything she wrote when I was 13-14), historical romances. I subscribed to Seventeen and Young Miss and well..... I turned out fine. Except not really, people. Fine by status quo standards, but I internalized a lot of the low expectations for self and relationships, body image, etc that is peddled in those things. I've spent the better part of a decade and a half throwing off the bullshit in which I was inculcated.
But here's where by explaining further I realize that I'm going to make an even more arrogant ass of myself. I'm coming from a place of huuuuuuuge privilege. I am overeducated. In fact, by hating on women who love Twilight and don't see any issues with it I'm basically victim blaming. I think people can't see the issues of Twilight because the very problems Meyer so clumsily exposes are the foundations of our relational status quo. And of course people chafe when you say their chosen escape from the daily grind is satan. I can understand that last part - because the passion for Twilight is entirely emotional. Who am I to burst into some one's world and tell them that they are complicit in their own oppression?
Of course there are a million other problematic books, movies, shows. Advertising is in many ways worse than Twilight by it's very saturation. We will not have television in our house and we have already started talking about media literacy with Bennett. But Twilight is BELOVED, passionately and completely beloved by millions of women. I've already mentioned in past posts that this kills me. I want women to expect more from their lives. Is this one book going to be the downfall of females? No. But it's part of a larger, insidious problem. Stephanie Meyer hates women. I'm sure she doesn't think she does, but everything about her plot, her characters, her themes, suggests that she has internalized the worst of the patriarchy and is spewing it forth in new sparkly packages.
God. I meant to just write a short: hey, I get worked up, I'll try to calm down. But I see everything - EVERYTHING - through a feminist lens. (Which means I could detail just how Twilight is damaging for men too, because as I hope we know, no one wins in the patriarchy.)
Basically, if you're reading this, I'm guessing you aren't mistaking Twilight for great literature or social commentary and if you like it, it's because you like some sparkly ridiculuousness. If that's the case: cool. But if you think it's great lit or really find not one iota of problem with any of it.... I dunno. I'd be shocked you'd hung around me for this long. I'm more than a bit of a harpy about this sort of stuff.